Anger as Kenilworth primary school set to close on election day for fourth time in two years

Governors at a primary school in Kenilworth have branded the school’s repeated closure on election days as “extremely disruptive”.

Priors Field Primary School in Clinton Lane closes every time there is an election or referendum, as it becomes a polling station.

It shut down for the Warwickshire County Council elections last month, and also closed twice last year – once for the EU referendum, and once for the Police and Crime Commissioner election.

Now it will close again on June 8th for the general election.

“For the second year running the children at Priors Field Primary School will be losing two days of education in the summer term as a result of the school closure due to its use as a polling station,” said chair of governors Debbie Dawson.

“This is extremely disruptive to the children’s learning as well as an inconvenience to working parents and undermines the school’s efforts to raise standards and encourage high pupil attendance. Priors Field is the only school in Kenilworth to be affected in this way.”

Councillor John Cooke responded: “In this day and age it seems ridiculous to close the school, but the law says if local government wants to use the school’s facilities they have the right to do so.”